The present invention relates to a plasma display panel and image display apparatus using the same, which are used as an information processing terminal, for a flat-type or wall-hanging type television, or the like.
The gas discharge type display such as plasma display makes displaying by self-light emission, and thus it has wide field-of-view angle and provides a better easy-to-watch displaying characteristic. In addition, it can be produced to be thin and large-sized. The application of the plasma display has begun to the displays for information terminal equipment and high-definition television receivers. The plasma display can be roughly classified into DC drive type and AC drive type. Of these types, the AC drive type plasma display has developed to the extent that the brightness can be increased by the memory action of the dielectric layer covering the electrodes, and that its life span can be extended enough to bear practical use by forming a protective layer. The result is that the plasma display is now being put to practical use as a multi-purpose video monitor.
The AC drive type plasma display is generally composed of a front plate, a back plate, and a discharge space region that is formed between the front and back plates and that has a great number of cells partitioned by walls. The front plate has formed therein a plurality of pairs of display electrodes. The back plate has formed therein a plurality of address electrodes that are substantially perpendicular to these display electrodes. When a pulse voltage is applied between the address electrodes and display electrodes, an auxiliary discharge is caused in the respective cells formed by the front and back plates and the partition walls. Under this auxiliary discharge, a main discharge is caused by applying a pulse voltage between the display electrodes of the respective pairs of the front plate formed to oppose the respective cells. The ultraviolet light from the main discharge excites the phosphor to emit light. The light from the phosphor is passed through the front plate, thus displaying and light emission being made.
This conventional AC drive type plasma display made displaying and light emission by surface discharge between the display electrodes of each pair. An example of this conventional AC drive type plasma display is described in JP-A-5-190099.